The book of Hebrews contains no claim of authorship. Its style is more in the style of a sermon or lecture than in the style of a letter. The material in the book and the nature of the contrasts used suggests its material was presented to Jewish Christians.
The first recipients of this material endured major sacrifices and opposition for their faith in Jesus as God's promised Christ [Messiah] (Hebrews 10:32-34). They had, in time, become discouraged in their dedication to Christ (Hebrews 10:36-39). They were giving serious consideration to abandoning Jesus Christ in order to return to former religious practices.
A possible scenario that created these circumstances is this. When the early church was 100% Jewish, the Christian movement was viewed by unbelieving Jews as an acceptable spiritual restoration of Jewish spiritual focus (consider Acts 2:41, 47). However, matters began changing significantly when gentiles were allowed to become Christians without first becoming Jewish proselytes [which involved accepting and practicing Jewish rituals] (consider the reaction in Acts 11:1-3 after Peter baptized gentiles in Acts 10). By Acts 15, this matter had reached a crisis point (consider the reaction of Pharisees who were Christians in Acts 15:5).
As the percentage of gentile Christians in the early church grew, opposition from the first century nation of Israel to Jews who chose to be Christians increased. Finally, an ultimatum was given: "You can be a part of the nation of Israel, or you can be a part of those people who sanction gentiles, but you cannot be both. Decide! Be a part of Israel or a part of the church."
To us gentiles who only have known the church as a gentile commitment to Christ, that may seem an insignificant choice, a meaningless decision. For a first century Jewish Christian, it was a deeply significant choice filled with immediate consequences. It meant Jewish Christians renounced their Jewish heritage. That meant they deliberately, knowingly disconnected themselves from their roots and ancestors. They would give up their cultural heritage. They would no longer be welcome in a Jewish synagogue. For many, they would be regarded as dead by their families. Their extended family would not come to their aid if they had a debilitating sickness or faced a dire economic situation. [In those times extended families were their Medicare and Social Security--read Deuteronomy 15.]
To those Jewish Christians, renouncing Jesus as the Christ seemed an acceptable solution. They were not changing gods: both as a Jew and as a Christian they worshipped the same God. They were renouncing Jesus as the Christ, not God. They still would believe in and worship God. Their problem centered around following Jesus. They would simply stop following Jesus and continue to worship God.
The message of Hebrews declared it was not possible to renounce Jesus and worship God. God sending Jesus to become the Christ was God's expressed intent when He made His promise to Abraham to bless all families of the earth through him (Genesis 12:3). Israel existed as descendants of Abraham in order to allow God's Messiah [the Christ] to come through them. Jesus Christ was (is) God's spokesman, superior to prophets and all past methods God used to communicate to man (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus Christ is superior to angels (Hebrews 1:4ff). Christians need to listen to Jesus Christ more, not less (Hebrews 2:1). Jesus Christ is God's superior apostle [an apostle was one sent with a mission] and superior as a high priest to the Jewish high priest (Hebrews 3:1, 5, 7, 8). Jesus Christ is superior to Moses--Moses was a servant; Jesus is God's son (Hebrews 3:5,6).
What did Jesus the Christ accomplish that was superior to all Judaism valued? The writer of Hebrews stressed the benefits of Jesus Christ to the conscience. First, atonement in Jesus Christ addressed [addresses] the internal problem of guilt. Judaism's rites and rituals focused on what happened physically to the body (Hebrews 9:8-10). In Judaism, there was the continuing, repetitive effort to separate the person from sin. Continuing violations of the Law constantly reminded imperfect people [all people are imperfect] that they were guilty. Jesus Christ cleanses the conscience and thereby cleanses the person from a rightful sense of guilt.
Second, the blood of Jesus Christ accomplished something animal sacrifices never accomplished--a permanent cleansing of the conscience (Hebrews 9:13, 14). The day of atonement occurred every year (Leviticus 16). Sabbath sacrifices were offered every Saturday. Each day began with a temple sacrifice, and each day ended with a temple sacrifice. Worship sacrifices were offered on occasions of worship. Personal sacrifices were offered every time personal need demanded a sacrifice. However, God's sacrifice of Jesus was a permanent solution to the problem of guilt. It cleansed [cleanses] the one who accepts Jesus Christ internally and externally--permanently (Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:10).
Third, this superior cleansing of the conscience is designed to destroy the human response of terror in God's presence. Terror is not destroyed by the worthiness of the human, but by the superiority of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-22). Since Christians have a superior high priest in Jesus Christ who ministers in God's immediate presence with his own blood, Christians have no need to be terrified of God. Faith in the superiority and worthiness of Jesus Christ should assure the Christian that he or she has nothing to fear from being in God's immediate presence. Why? Because the Christian is cleansed internally as well as externally--in conscience as well as body! Only does the Christian have need to be terrified of God if he or she renounces Jesus Christ!
[To view the Jewish terror response to God's presence, consider Exodus 20:18,19; Deuteronomy 5:5, 22-27; and Hebrews 12:18-24. Christians do not react to God with terror! It is not because God's awesome power had been diminished, but because God made available to Christians something never available to humans before--the cleansing of the conscience.]
When the writer appeals for the prayers of the readers, he appeals on the basis of conscience that expresses itself in a desire to live honorably.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide Lesson 12